CROSSING HELL, ASCENDING HEAVEN
by TEKNAM
Summary: X-over of "bakuman" and the hentai "Helter Skelter". Not enough room here, Full Description inside. WARNING: EXTREMELY OOC Cannons and no OCs at all. Rated M for language, character death, and adult themes later on. Read at your own risk.


[A/N}Hey all, this one's going to be a bit different. If anyone has ever seen a certain anime by the name of "Helter Skelter", then good for you; the ONLY reason I know about this thing at ALL is solely because of all these idiots posting porn behind JUST ABOUT ANY AND EVERY LINK on the net. All I wanted was a damnable Bakuman song… what I wound up with was a hentai… *rage rage rage* For those who do know what it is, This is going to be similar… up to a point. After a certain event hits, the tables tilt in a different direction. I'm hoping to pull this off well.

But I digress. This is a sort of cross-over of "Helter Skelter" with "Bakuman", using characters from the latter in the former's world. I AM WARNING YOU NOW: THIS WILL HAVE DARK THEMES, LOTS OF DEATH, AND AN ADULT SCENE TOWARD THE END. I will also warn you, above all else, that this story is going to contain EXTREMELY OOC Bakuman cannons and NO OCs of my own. So, with that said, I do NOT own either "Helter Skelter" or "Bakuman"; they are the sole property of their respective owners and creators. I am merely using these two in a work of fiction… derived from two original works of fiction… ^^; Enjoy… IF YOU CAN. [A/N]

A HELTER SKELTER/BAKUMAN CROSS-OVER  
>CROSSING HELL, ASCENDING HEAVEN<br>~ OP: "LOVE SAVER" – T.M. REVOLUTION ~

The leaves of the trees whispered silently to each other as the warm, gentle mid-summer breeze ran between them. Between several of these trees sat a small dojo… from which erupted several loud, frustrated shouts.

"DO!"

"GAH!"

A loud, resounding "CRACK" was heard, stirring sleeping birds from the trees as a simple wooden sword flew up into one of the trees and impaled a branch, tearing it off the tree as it sailed further up, before falling back to the ground next to its disarmed wielder. The kendoka's opponent turned with a huff, lowering his bokuto to his side as the training spar was called in his favor. Quickly removing his gloves and helmet, the kendoka shook his head, sending his shoulder-length blue hair floating through the air. He opened his blue eyes, dull and almost devoid of life, were kept in an angry scowl as he stormed past his fellow kendoka and sensei for the locker room. The one he'd defeated, still a bit shaken, was helped to his feet by two others. Soon regaining himself, he took his own gloves and helmet, revealing a pair of worried black eyes and a full head of long white hair. The sensei walked up to the white-haired boy and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Fu-kun… Ma-san is really upset recently," the sensei said. Fu-kun nodded.

"I noticed that… his upward swing to my head kinda got that point across… I think I know why. It's THAT week again… He'll be like this all week… unless he can resolve his problems back in that place," Ku-kun said. The sensei nodded.

"I think you ought to go talk to him, see if you can calm him down," the sensei said. Fu-kun nodded, and walked away.

~LOCKER ROOM~

Ma sat on a bench, shaking his hair out so the sweat in his bangs could evaporate in the summer heat faster. A small, musical jingling sound rang from his near-by duffel bag, and after quickly fishing through it, pulled out a small, black cell-phone.

Answering it, he said, "Ta-kun, I had a feeling you'd be calling me soon. Is… is THAT ready for me yet?"

"_Yeah, it is, and hello to you also, Ma-kun,"_ Ta said replied.

"Good. I'm determined to end the madness this year. I won't let any of their antics and traps stop me this year. I've been working hard to make sure this goes down the way I want it to," Ma said. He could tell Ta was nodding on the other end.

"Before I forget, in case I'm too late to stop them from bringing in a new group of victims, how long would it take you to get another couple rooms ready in that complex of yours?" Ma asked. Ta scoffed.

"_Who are you talking to, exactly? I had your room ready about two months ago, just days after you asked me to prepare it. I'm a master of moving things and keeping things hidden, Ma-kun, and you know that,"_ Ta said with a chuckle, _"All I'd have to know is how many, how many rooms in each and what kind of furniture to place in each, and I'm good. How soon can you get me the info?"_

"That depends on how fast they get their next group to the compound… If they're there before or around the time I get in, I'll be able to call you quickly. How many people do you have working for you?" Ma asked.

"_I've got three, and they're just as fast as I am. If you need me out there to help you, I'm positive the three of them would be able to set up the rooms in my absence with only a 0.01% margin for error. You have nothing to worry about,"_ Ta said.

"What about Hiramaru-san? Is he still under your wing, or did you have to pull a mama bird and "Cut him loose mid-flight"?" Ma asked inquisitively. Ta chuckled.

"_Funny you should mention that… I did have to cut him loose… but I did it in a speed-boat over the river. Turns out he's a pretty decent swimmer; by the time I got back to shore, he was about a quarter of the way back. I could feel the killing intent coming off him in waves from the docks, so I booked it. You don't work in my line of work for as long as I have and not know to leave when someone plans to kill you for pushing them out of a moving boat…"_ Ta laughed. Ma laughed too.

"Alright… What about Miura-san? Has he finished his undercover work in the compound yet?" Ma inquired. Ta was about to answer when a beeping sound interrupted them.

"_That would be him now. I'll be right back-"_ Ta said, leaving Ma sitting patiently for a few minutes.

"_Back. Miura-san posed as an electrician and managed to get the entire thing planted before anyone got suspicious. Everything's in place, whenever you're ready…"_ Ta said. Ma thanked him and hung up. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"What is it, Fu-san?" Ma asked. The white-haired boy from before stepped into the room.

"You intend to end it all tonight, huh sempai?" Fu asked. Ma nodded.

"I do."

Ma stood and walked to the window, a black shadow forming over his blue eyes as he stared out at the scenery outside.

"Do you know how long I've been there, Fu-san? Do you know how long I've been forced to live in that mad-house?" Ma asked. Fu shook his head.

"TEN YEARS, since I was eight," Ma said, his voice losing any semblance of tone or emotion, as if he were a machine. Fu almost shivered. Five years ago, Ma had stumbled into their dojo during this precise week, looking for anyone who would give him a place to stay during his time of hardship. He hadn't thought it had deeper roots, nor had he thought Ma's "home" had left such deep, painful scars in him.

"Ma-sempai… If it's alright with you, I'd like to help you with whatever you need to do to make this week a happy one for you. I don't care WHAT I have to do… Just let me help you. I can't stand seeing you like this… You're better suited to the days when you smile!" Fu said. When he took a closer look at Ma, he saw a small smile forming on his sempai's face and smiled back.

"Are you sure about that, Fu-san?" Ma asked, turning his face to look Fu in the eyes and revealing his eyes had gone almost black, adding malice and a foreboding look to an otherwise twisted, manic grin, "Even if you have to KILL to do that?" Fu took a step back, then held his ground.

Turning his face into one almost as dark and serious as Ma's, Fu said, "Yes, Sempai. You're a role model for all of us, and you're at your best when you're not focused on plotting the end of that accursed place. After all… I've been living there with you for the last two years. I have the same reason to want that wicked, horrid place wiped off the face of this world as you. I'll do whatever I have to for that goal to come about."

Ma's face curved into a genuine smile and, picking up his bag as he strode toward Fu, placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I know, Fu-san. Soon, all this will be over. Soon we'll be able to live amongst the rest of our race… the HUMAN race, not the race of scum-beasts we currently live with…" With that, Fu smiled and grabbed his things before turning to follow his sempai out the door to the limo… the limo from that cursed village where they lived.

_**~MEANWHILE~**_

Loud hollers and yells of "HOTSPRINGS!" filled the air of the freeway as a van filled with women shot past oncoming traffic, as if the driver was trying to outrun the hounds of hell. The driver, an attractive-looking young man with black hair highlighted with a dark shade of purple, hid his calculating eyes behind a pair of black-blocker shades as he focused mostly on the road… but also on his only other thought:

"_Which one will I be taking…"_

_**~LATER~**_

The limo pulled into the driveway of a large estate, several miles outside of the bigger city. Ma stepped out of the car and looked across the way at the van sitting in the parking space a little farther up. As Fu stepped out and looked to his sempai, Ma looked Fu in the eyes and nodded toward the van. The two shared a single thought:

"_IT'S ALREADY STARTED!"_

Nodding to Fu to run home and prepare, Ma ran up to the main house's front door and stood to the side, pressing his ear close to a window to hear what was going on inside.

_**~INSIDE~**_

A woman with blonde hair styled in long curls that reached down to her stomach sat at a table, surrounded by several other women and the man who had driven them to this place. They had been told it was a hot-springs resort, and they'd been chosen to help film a documentary about it. The woman, known to her friends as Miyuki Haruno, was sitting between her two daughters, Miho and Mina. On Miho's side, her two friends, Kaya Miyoshi and Aiko Iwase, were chatting idly about each other's preferences in boys. Meanwhile, on Mina's side of the table, Miho's other two friends, Yuriko Aoki and Natsumi Kato, sat discussing fashion designs, with Natsumi continually telling her friend she didn't care much for fashion.

Miyuki, though her daughters and their friends rambled on and on about the same old things, was deep in thought, trying hard to figure out why THESE seven, specifically, out of all the women in Japan, had been chosen for this. She knew that she and her daughters were already well-known models, but none had ever let the attention go to their heads. They always denied the media's requests for interviews in favor of a more quiet life at home between photo shoots. IT also helped that she herself was only 40 while her daughters were 18 and 16, respectively.

In terms of their friends, she could see why a couple of them were there. Kaya and Aiko were both renowned authors, despite the fact that they both were only 17 years old. Natsumi was the same age as Mina, but was an assistant for an executive in a big company. Miyuki could tell there was something afoul about that appointment... but was a bit cautious about expressing her fears. Finally, Yuriko was an established fashion designer at 20, having been picked up only a few years ago by a big name brand before going in her own direction. To Miyuki's deductions, only herself, her daughters, and Yuriko really HAD to be there… why had they taken an executive's aide and a pair of authors?

She leveled a simple glance at their driver, a man they'd come to know as Koji Makaino. Miyuki remembered his name from somewhere, but… for some reason, she just couldn't place where she'd heard his name.

'_No matter how you look at it,' _the older woman thought, _'something about this whole deal stinks. I'd better keep my guard up.'_

"Miyuki-san," Koji said, catching the older woman's attention, "You seem distant. Is something wrong?"

Miyuki gave a simple smile and a shake of her head no.

Koji nodded and got up, stating he had to attend to some last minute business with the village leader.

'_Something's ESPECIALLY fishy about HIM,'_ Miyuki thought, _'I'd best keep the girls close.'_

_**~OUTSIDE~**_

Ma heard someone get up. By the voice alone, he could tell it was that bloody snake-oil salesman Makaino and his damnable silver tongue. Ducking around to the back of the house, Ma watched the black-and-purple-headed con artist walk out of the house, headed for the elder's house. Ma would have to keep a close eye on him. Reaching for his phone, Ma left to tail Makaino.

After dialing a number and hearing three rings, he heard, _"Ma-sempai! Are we starting?"_

"Not quite yet, but depending on how things go in a little bit, we just might be. I need you to do me a BIG favor; can you drive?" Ma asked. Fu answered yes.

"Alright. I need you to meet me by the van in fifteen minutes. I'll tell you what you need to do then," ma said, hanging up.

After ten minutes of following Makaino to no avail, he turned back to meet with Fu. Arriving at the rendezvous point, he noticed Fu standing ready in his kendo gear.

"What's the plan, sempai?" Fu asked. Ma took a piece of paper from his pants pocket and showed it to Fu.

"This list has names of our allies for this plight. There are a few. I'll ring each one soon and let them know to expect you, and to be fully prepared. Go to each address and pick up our friends. I'll explain our plan of attack when you return," Ma said. Fu was about to get into the vehicle when Ma stopped him.

"Oh, and give Na-san a wide breadth. He's got a bit of a… weight problem, so to speak," Ma cautioned, "And don't ask him why he looks the way he does. He's a bit sensitive about that. Also, when you get to Ei-san's house, don't be surprised if he doesn't answer, but manages to show up INSIDE the van waiting for you. He's a bit of a ninja otaku and thinks he's REALLY a ninja… though with what I've seen him do, I'm starting to believe he is as well. Go and be fast; we may not have much time left!" Fu nodded and started the van, taking off moments later at high speed. Ma quickly pulled his phone out and made the required calls.

However, as he finished the last call, he heard the door of the house opening and, turning quickly, caught a glimpse of six women sitting at a table while another stepped out. Quickly putting his phone away, Ma waited for her to close the door and walk before beginning to tail her. Sticking mostly to the shadows, he followed her until she reached the village's major arch, just a few seconds outside of the leader's home. Staying within the thick shadow of the house, he listened in, keeping his senses honed on everything around him so he'd be ready in case anyone tried anything.

Beyond the arch, two men were speaking. Ma recognized both of them: The village's elder, Toru Nanamine, the 22-year-old son of the recently deceased leader, wearing a simple pair of jeans and a sweater, speaking with the village's representative for the outside… Ma had to resist the urge to jump out into the open and strike down the sharp-suited man speaking to Nanamine, but knowing he'd soon have his revenge, waited.

As the two talked about the ritual, Ma watched the girl across from him, examining her reactions to what the Leader was saying. Judging from the fact that she knew nothing of what they were saying, Ma gathered that the most she could understand was that something bad was going down. She mumbled something about telling the others when she turned and walked right into the bastard Makaino.

"Koji-san, we need to get help!" the girl said, her face serious, but full of worry. Makaino simply gave her a malicious grin laced with only the slightest hint of perversion.

"Azuki-san… You just lucked out BIG time!" Makaino said. The girl gained a terrified expression, silently asking herself what she'd just gotten herself into.

With no more than a push, Makaino moved the girl Azuki into the open, revealing her presence to the others in the two conversing males ahead, and said, "Look who decided to come to pay us a visit, gents!" The other two males looked over, lecherous grins spreading across their faces.

"Ah, Azuki-san, it's nice of you to come and come around and see us! We need to give you a full physical test to see how well you'll be able to "support" the men of this village in the upcoming Hunting Festival!" Nanamine said, his grin growing by the second.

"W-what are you talking about? Explain yourselves! What the hell is this "festival" all about?" Azuki demanded. Nanamine chuckled.

"It's quite simple, really," Nanamine said, "You, your family, and your friends have all been brought here to be live sacrifices for the festival. We don't hunt and kill… we hunt for FUN of another sort entirely." Azuki soon gasped in understanding and tried to back up a step, but was stopped by the other man, who grabbed her by the wrists and held her still.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you, Azuki-san…" Makaino said, "The man who just spoke is our village leader, Nanamine Toru-san and our liaison for the outside world, Mashiro Masahiro-san. They'll be examining you in a matter of minutes to make sure you're adequate for the festival. Your family and friends will be subjected to the same test in a matter of hours… Unless of course, you choose to become the shishigami, of the festival, meaning you are the ONLY one hunted, while your family is let free."

Azuki thought about it for a moment before closing her eyes sadly and nodding.

"I think she's volunteering gents! I'll leave you to the testing, then; I have to go make sure our other "friend" stays put for the time being. _Ja ne_," Makaino said, giving a half-hearted two-finger wave as he turned to pass back through the arch. Nanamine ordered Mashiro to hold Azuki still while he began the examination, with Azuki able to do nothing the entire time but struggle. Ma was waiting patiently, and as Makaino passed into the arch, Ma reached out and grabbed the man and pulled him into the shadows.

The two men were so engrossed in their act of perversion that they didn't notice Makaino's sudden disappearance until Mashiro gasped and loosed his grip on Azuki's left arm to point toward the arch. Nanamine and Azuki both looked, both gasping in surprise as Makaino walked back into the square with a dark-haired boy behind him, dressed in kendo garb. Makaino was held ahead of the boy with a sword at his neck and a set of three knives against his precious jewels.

"Ma-san," Nanamine said, feigning ignorance, "How was your kendo practice today? Did you learn anything new?" The boy's face, partially obscured from view by Makaino's shoulder, gave a half-smirk and tightened his grip on the blade near his hostage's neck.

"I'll only say this once," Ma said, "Let her go right this minute, or not ONLY will Koji-san get his throat torn open, but I'll castrate him with these three knives. After I finish with HIM, I'll come after BOTH of you and exact the same treatment. Am I understood?" Nanamine scoffed, not believing the boy one bit.

"You think I'm going to buy that? You haven't been able to do a damn thing about this tradition of ours, despite all your attempts, for the past nine years! What makes you think your petty threat against Koji-san holds any weight against us?" He kneeled down and ordered Mashiro to hold Azuki again. As the man did so, Nanamine reached a hand underneath Azuki's skirt and pulled downward, revealing the white of the girl's cotton panties. Soon after, he wished he hadn't.

The three watched as the boy tipped his blade away from Makaino's throat, then jammed the blade through the side of his neck and drew outward, cutting half of the man's neck open, while swiping the three knives across the man's pants violently. Seconds later, Ma held up a blood-drenched sword and the three knives, one of which held the entirety of the now deceased Makaino's package on the blade. Nanamine jumped to his feet and pushed Mashiro aside before positioning himself directly behind Azuki, dropping his pants and her panties in one motion before grabbing her and readying himself for the first push.

"DON'T EVEN THINK OF TAKING ANOTHER STEP!" Nanamine shouted, pressing the tip of his piece against Azuki's opening, "You take one more step, and I take her right here and now!" Nanamine watched as Ma's face, now shrouded in shadows, took on an almost half-Glasgow smile with demented eyes.

"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY IT AFTER I NEUTER YOU AND STICK YOU WITH MY BLADE!"

These were the last words Nanamine heard before Ma vanished from sight. Looking around, he thrust his piece upward, ignoring Azuki's screams of defiance…

Until his own screams of pain drowned out her voice. Azuki opened her eyes and gasped. Before her was Ma, blade ready at his side with his other hand holding one knife. In one precise motion, Ma dove his knife between Azuki's legs, missing her flesh completely as the small blade soared through Nanamine's meat and into his groin, making a circular cut that removed both his berries with it. Nanamine, his mind now revolving around the intense pain in his lower section, loosened his grip on Azuki's arms, giving Ma exactly the chance he needed.

With one more precise motion, Ma left the knife in place and grabbed Azuki with his now free hand, pulling her free of Nanamine's grip and pushing her aside as his sword hand thrust downward, piercing through the wicked man's heart before being removed and plunged through his head, severing the connections that governed control of his heart and lungs. Nanamine stood upright for about two seconds before the weight of his tilting body brought his corpse crashing to the ground. Mashiro looked at the two corpses on the ground, then at the trembling Azuki, then at the murderous boy before him. He flinched when Ma stood and disposed of the knife, then backed up a few feet when Ma turned his full attention on HIM.

"Wait, Ma-san, I don't even know who you are! Why are you trying to kill someone you don't even know?" Mashiro said. Ma stopped and reached into his pocket. Mashiro watched as, from the pocket, Ma pulled out a brown leather wallet, and then from that wallet removed a small picture, which was then thrown toward Mashiro. The older man caught the picture and looked at it, gasping. He looked from the boy to the picture and back again, realization hitting him.

"You… you can't be serious! I'm your FATHER! Why would you want to kill ME?" Mashiro asked. Ma took a step forward, causing his father to take a step back.

"Why do I want to kill you, you ask? WHAT KIND OF FATHER ABANDONS HIS WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS TO THIS KIND OF SENSELESS INJUSTICE, AND LEAVES HIS EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON TO LIVE IN A PLACE THAT REVELS IN THIS KIND OF PERVERSE GARBAGE? How can you even hold your head high and hold my gaze like this? Knowing who I am, the guilt would be making just about anyone else avert their gaze by this point! You honestly feel NOTHING for what you did to OUR FAMILY?" Ma shouted, swinging his blade down hard into the pavement. Mashiro backed off a step when he saw a three-foot-wide-by-six-foot-long gash open in the ground, running a good two feet deep.

"I won't even sully my blade with your tainted blood, you old bastard. You'll die by the wind's harsh embrace," Ma said, half-swinging his sword toward his father, who slid back a couple steps as a sharp blast of wind tore through his body, leaving a large, bloody gash in his stomach. Two more swings later and the man was on one knee, now no longer able to use either arm. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

"Before I end this… Why did you do it? Why did you leave us? Why did you let kaa-san and my three sisters remain in this DEATH TRAP? YOU REALIZE THEY WERE KILLED THE YEAR AFTER YOU LEFT THEM HERE, RIGHT? WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK AND BRING US BACK TO SAFETY BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENED?" Ma shouted. Mashiro stayed silent, his eyes tightly closed.

Ma roared in anger and raised his blade for the final blow.

"IF YOU WANT AN ANSWER, CHECK MY POCKETS!" Mashiro said. Ma lowered his blade and walked over, checking the right side suit- jacket pocket when his father motioned to it with his head. Finding a small piece of paper, Ma opened it and read, his eyes slowly angling further into fury and rage than before. With one final roar, Ma raised his blade so the point was aimed straight down into his father's head and thrust downward, stopping just before the blade pierced the man's skull. A second later, the man's head lolled down, and his body slumped onto its side. Ma watched, pleased and satiated, as a large pool of blood formed around his now dead father's head. Turning to face Azuki, Ma looked aside for a second when he saw her sliding her panties back up her legs, and then stopped and gave her a good look.

The more he stared her in the eyes, the more he got the feeling he knew her from somewhere. He remembered Makaino had called her "_Azuki-san"_ … Then it hit him…

_**~FLASHBACK~**_

_A fifteen-year-old Ma sat in a seat of the large stadium, slumped down in the seat, his feet resting on the top of the chair ahead of him. Resting his head on his hands, which he'd clasped together behind his head, he was smiling wide. He was wearing a black, sleeveless turtle-neck sweater, black hakama pants with three belts holding the pants closed, and black tabi socks in wooden sandals._

_**~SCENE SWITCH~**_

_A fifteen-year-old girl with long, black hair stood in front of Ma, her eyes shooting daggers at the boy as she demanded she vacate her seat, while he pulled out his ticket to show her it was HIS seat._

_**~SCENE SWITCH~**_

_The two teens stared at each other's tickets, laughing at the situation they found themselves in: both had tickets proclaiming this their seat. Ma looked at her ticket, and in big, bold letters, was her name:_

"_**AZUKI MIHO"**_

_**~END FLASHBACK~**_

Deciding against calling her by name just yet, he chose instead to test the waters.

Looking her dead in the eyes, he asked, "Seat Girl? Is that you?"

Looking at him with confusion in her eyes, Azuki said, "How do you know that name? I haven't been called that in roughly three years!"

Ma quickly began removing his kendo outfit, revealing a black, sleeveless turtle-neck sweater and black hakama pants held up with one belt and held closed with two more, one on each side. His feet were covered off in a pair of black tabi socks and, once removed from his pockets, a pair of wooden sandals. As soon he slipped the sandals on, Azuki gasped.

"YOU! You're the guy who had the same ticket I did!" She said, confirming Ma's suspicions. He nodded.

"I need you to take me back to the house your family and friends are staying in. They need to be informed, and I'd rather only have to say what needs to be said once. Can you take me? We don't have a lot of time," Ma said. Miho nodded and started off. As they walked, Ma opened his phone and dialed Fu's number.

"_Hai, sempai, what's wrong?"_ Fu asked.

"It's started; how many have you got?" Ma asked.

"_As a matter of fact, I just got the last one; I just got done Ei-san's house. Like you said, he was waiting in the van when I got back. We're on our way now; we should be no more than fifteen, twenty minutes the most!"_ Fu said, hanging up as soon as he finished. Ma hung up and put away his phone just as they got to the door. Motioning for Miho to step aside, Ma threw the doors open, startling the six women within. Whispering his plan of action to Miho, he stepped past the six others inside and set about tapping the floor with the scabbard of his blade.

Every couple taps the sound that was made changed and Ma would throw open a hidden trap door and jump down into a tunnel below, then let loose three swings of his sword. This would cause the tunnel to collapse several feet away. He would then step back to the rope ladder by the trap door and slash a few more times, creating a deep well in the ground. Once he'd found all thirteen doors, he walked back into the main room and sat down at the table, noting that Miho had already sat down.

"Before I begin," Ma said, "I'll inform you that the only name you need to call me by right now is Ma-san. That's it. After my friends and I have finished taking down everyone else in this village, we're getting the bunch of you out of here, and FAST. THIS IS WHY: THIS PLACE IS A DEATH TRAP." The women gasped. Miyuki leaned in.

"What do you mean by that, Ma-san?" she asked.

Giving her a serious look, Ma said, "This village isn't officially recognized on any map. This village is a men's only place; there are NO women here save for the ones brought in annually for the Hunting Festival as far as I can understand, this festival has been going on for longer than I've been here, and is designed for a sole purpose: THE FESTIVAL IS A MEANS FOR THE MEN OF THIS PLACE TO HAVE AS MUCH SEX AS THEY WANT WITH ANY WOMEN BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE." Miyuki paled. Most of the other girls went almost ghost white. Ma took a breath.

"Every year, the village elder hires a liaison to recruit between four and six women. The liaison is then commissioned to hire a driver to drive said women on a specified date to this place… and to their doom. It was supposed to start tomorrow, but had you seven been forced to do this, you would have been forcefully stripped naked and sent into the forest to run for your lives. Any of you who made it to the highway would be allowed to leave this place and look for help with no one coming looking for you."

"Any caught while running would be knocked unconscious and dragged back to the shrine to have their senses raped out of them endlessly by each and EVERY man in this village. That would go on for about a week. At the end of that week, you would be given the choice to leave and seek legal help against those who live here, as well as medical assistance for what had been done to you, or to stay and continue with how you'd been living the past week."

"For many of the women who came here during the time I've been here, the choice was made FOR them through the act itself; their senses shut down and their minds eroded from the endless sex. Their hormones would completely take over, they'd choose to stay. However, it was with that choice that their lives became truly forfeit; the week before the next festival, they take the women from the year before and brutally murder them, and then dump the bodies in a large hole. Had I not ran to the forest one year and seen the bodies of…" Ma took a breath here, the memory apparently too strong for him to resist, "I would NEVER have know," Ma said, taking multiple breaths through his speech. He noticed one of the girls fidgeting. He asked her name.

Taking a breath, the girl's eyes curved back in worry and she said, "Uhm… I'm Miyoshi Kaya… and how do you know all this?"

Ma bowed his head and adopted a solemn attitude as he said, "Ten years ago, my father volunteered my mother and my three older sisters to this place without their knowledge. My mother was about 38 at the time… my sisters were 16, 15, and 14 respectively. I was the odd one out of the group, as I was eight at the time… Myself and my only friend here are the only exceptions to the unspoken "No boys allowed" rule for coming in here. I was stuffed into a cupboard for the entire week and given trays of food three times a day through a slot in the door. When they let me out… I couldn't recognize my mother or my sisters anymore. I locked myself back inside that cupboard until I could go outside, and trained myself to ignore almost everything I heard."

"Now we fast forward through the nine years after. Every year they had to do SOMETHING to keep me away from what they were doing, at least until four or five years ago when they decided I was old enough to participate. At those times I vehemently ignored them and tried to stop them, but they'd lock me away where I couldn't do anything. The last five years I've been learning kendo in preparation for this day… and now, I'm going to finish this. My only friend here is bringing in a group of people I can trust. None of them know EXACTLY what's been happening here except for said friend, a witness protection agent I know… and myself. I'll brief them when they arrive. What I need YOU to do is find weapons to protect yourselves and hiding places. Find anything you can use as a weapon and hide away. If anyone breaks past us, take them down," Ma said.

Kaya asked, "What about if we don't want to hurt others? Or want to use our fists?" Ma thought for a second.

"Well… unless you want to wind up like the others before you, I'd suggest you steel your nerves and find SOMETHING to hit back with. In terms of fists, I suppose you could use them if you're proficient enough with them…" Ma stopped cold as Kaya reared her fist back and slammed it into the table, which shattered into several pieces. Ma cocked an eyebrow, looked at the table, then looked at Kaya and allowed the eyebrow to ratchet up a couple more notches.

"…Alright, you're settled then. The rest of you, get yourselves a weapon and HIDE. If ANYONE breaks through while we guard the doors, WHACK them," Ma said, hearing the grinding of gravel beneath tires. He rose and left the room, allowing the women within to get to their business.

As he walked down the steps, he smiled. Out from the van emerged Fu and a plethora of others. Ma smiled as he looked from his fellow kendoka to a trio of men in martial arts clothes, a sumo wrestler, a trio of gunmen, a ninja, and a man with a lance. Ma stood before the group.

"Alright, gentlemen, you know I called you here. But you don't know the full story. This place is a giant scam, used to reel in beautiful women for use in the village's "hunting Festival", where they strip the women down to bare naked and send them into the forest to see how many get to the highway and how many get stuck here… to be raped to death. I have called you all here to help me destroy the population of this place and set it ablaze as soon as we finish. How many are in?" Ma asked. At first, all but two of his addressees looked at him in outrage. The sumo was the first to step forward.

"MA-SAN, THIS IS AN ATROCITY! AS A SUMO, I CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE! I WILL LEND YOU MY ALL TO REPEL THESE PERVERTED BEASTS! MY STOMACH, MY HEAD… MY ARMS AND LEGS, THEY ARE ALL YOURS!" the man said. Ma smiled and patted the obese man's shoulder.

"Thank you, Na-san. I got the feeling you'd be onboard. I need you to watch the back door, alright? And make sure you aim for their throats if you swing your arms; the more crushed windpipes, the better!" Ma said. Na nodded and walked around to his post, creating light tremors with each step. The lancer, a medium-height, gangly man, was the next to step forward.

"Ma-san, I may not have known you long, but I will give you everything I have to end this horror. The dragons are always willing to lend their strength to a battle of honor and justice!" Ma smiled.

"Thank you, Shi-san. You and your lance are needed inside. Tell them I sent you and I'll wave you in, alright?" Ma said. Shi nodded and walked up, knocking on the door. When Miho came to the door and opened it, she saw Ma nodding his approval and let the gangly man in.

One by one, each man stepped up, with Ma thanking each by name and assigning them their posts: the martial artists Aki-san, Yu-san and Hi-san were sent to guard the left side door; the gunmen Ta-san, Sho-san and Yo-san and Ei-san the ninja were posted on the roof. Finally, Ma came to Fu and smiled.

"Fu-kun… Thank you. You've done a lot. Now, I need you to stand guard at the right side door. Remember what we trained you for: the Kaze no Yaiba technique that Sensei said was too advanced for either of us," Ma said. Fu nodded.

"Well, Sensei was wrong about a few things, wasn't he?" Fu said. Ma smiled.

"Hurry, get to your post! We haven't much time. As soon as they ring the bells-" Ma said, just as the loud, drawling sound of church bells ringing tore through the air of the village.

"SHIT! FU-KUN, RUN TO YOUR POST NOW! ROOFMEN, KEEP A LOW PROFILE UNTIL I GIVE THE SIGNAL!" Ma shouted, prompting Fu to run to his post and prepare. The four on the roof got flat on their stomachs, keeping low to keep out of sight. Ma jumped up to the front door and sat down, donning a wide-brimmed straw hat with a split over his right eye, then lowered his head so his face was obscured. Soon, a thick mob of men came running up to the door, but stopped when they saw Ma sitting.

"MA-SAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU JOINING US THIS YEAR?" one foolish villager asked. Ma laughed heartily from under his hat and raised his head so that only his one eye was visible.

In a deep, menacing voice, Ma said, "As a matter of fact… NO. I'M HERE TO END THIS SHIT ONCE AND FOR ALL!" With that, he stood and took off his hat, tossing it into the sky. Ei saw the hat and notified the other three to begin firing, while those at the head of the mob told those behind them to go around to the other doors. As the mob split into pieces, the groups prepared. As the first of the men approached Ma's door, he swung his blade in a lateral arc, sending a blade of wind through a group of the men, slaying them instantly. A throng approached Na, only to soon be knocked aside with crushed throats by his thick arms.

Throughout the constant screams and shouts from the attacking men to let them through, Ma kept up moral of his friends with constant encouragement. For roughly an hour-and-a-half, the attack kept up with no clear end in sight.

Soon, it all came to an end. As the last of the deviant men ran toward Ma, he slashed downward, cleaving the man in two with a blade of wind. As the two portions of the corpse slid apart and hit the ground, Ma nodded and flicked is blade to the side, dispelling the blood on it with a burst of air. The four on the roof slowly made their way down while the three guarding the other doors made their way to Ma. He knocked on the door three times, and smiled as Shi walked out, followed by the girls, all of whom looked a fair bit frazzled. Looked to Fu and handed him a backpack.

"I managed to buy these from an army surplus store under the premise that I only use them in a military situation. This seems more like something out of a Black Ops kind of thing, but the premise is the same to me. Place two of these in every house and bring any possible survivors out here; any innocent people will be taken out to live a normal life. We'll let the flames of hell deal with the rest," Ma said. Fu nodded his understanding and, grabbing the pack's handles, took off at a run.

Turning to the others, Ma smiled and asked the girls to get their things together. They all ran back to pack as fast as they could. Ma turned to his friends and asked them to line up for introductions. Starting with Na, they got into a line from left to right. The girls came out about twenty minutes later, towing two bags each behind them, JUST as Fu returned with the bag emptied. Fu quickly slung the empty backpack around his shoulders and, whispering to Ma that there were no other people in the village, took his place with the others and stood at the end of the line.

Looking at the girls, Ma said, "Ladies, it's time for introductions. First up is this man," he patted Na on the shoulder, "A three-year professional sumo wrestler of about thirty years who's best noted for his rough exterior, yet… well, for lack of a better term, soft and … FLUFFY interior. Ladies, meet my friend Na-san, better known as Nakai Takuro." The girls smiled and walked up to shake Nakai's large hands. Nakai smiled.

Moving down the line to an eccentric-looking man with black hair, downcast black eyes, and a long, wicked-looking spear on his back, Ma said, "Next is a potential master of a nearly extinct way of life, the Path of Dragoon. He's about twenty-three years old and a master lancer. This is Ryu-san; he's better known as Shizuka Ryu to those who know him." The girls approached the man, but Ryu simply raised a hand to stop them, giving them no more than a warm smile. Ma smirked and said, "I'm sorry… I forgot to mention that he's not that good in public situations JUST yet. He's working on it though." The girls nodded. Ma moved down the line once more, now stopping at a somewhat-tall young man with shoulder-length blonde hair and yellow eyes, toting a pair of Desert Eagles pistols, one over his shoulder and the other at his side.

Ma took a breath and said, "Girls, this is my informant from the outside, and a very good friend of mine. We met several years ago when I was permitted to leave and ran into him at a café. He's since been working to get me a place ready for when I torch this place, and he'll be doing the same for you all. This is Ta-kun, better known as Takagi Akito. He's about twenty years old, a master marksman, and a witness protection agent." The girls nodded in approval, especially Kaya, who seemed to be on the verge of collapsing on buckled knees. Takagi seemed worried and, quickly holstering his weapons, rushed over to her aide. Ma smiled and moved down the line, stopping at the last of the three gunmen: on the left stood a shorter youth with a full head of wavy brown hair and a serious expression, with a pair of semi-automatic sub-machine guns in his hands who quickly packed them away in his pockets; on the right was a taller, more gentlemanly-looking man with straight, black hair that fell to just below his chin, slinging a rifle into a set of pegs on the back of his military flak jacket.

"Next are Takagi-kun's two apprentices in both witness protection AND marksmanship. These two are nineteen and twenty respectively, and both have been in their sensei's business for roughly three years, having shown incredible aptitude for it in their early teens. On the left, we have Sho-san, also known as Takahama Shoyo, and on the right is Yo-san, also known as Yoshida Koji." Both men gave the girls happy smiles. Ma nodded and moved along to a shorter young man in black ninja garb which excluded his face, which was a bit slanted due to his squinted eyes and tight mouth.

"Next is an enigma, of sorts," Ma said, "a man who truly believes he is a ninja. And, for all I've seen him do, most likely IS one. He can hit a moving target dead-on from three-hundred feet away while drunk, blindfolded, gagged, and wearing ear plugs, with his nose plugged and his hands covered in thick gloves, IN THE DARK. This is Ei-san, or as he prefers to be called, Nizuma Eiji." Eiji immediately jumped up with an exuberant yell and announced his willingness to participate in any battle of this sort again, of only to hone his skills further. Ma shook his head and patted his friend on the shoulder to calm him down.

"I apologize; Eiji-san rarely leaves his apartment complex…" Ma said. The girls nodded. Ma moved down again, this time stopping in front of three men in martial arts garb, each toting a black belt.

"Next up are three people known throughout Japan as the "Three Dojo Demons"; these three are dangerous martial artists who've had to register with the government as mercenaries due to their bodies being deadly weapons of destruction. Off the mat and out of battle, they're extremely easy-going guys. Meet the brothers, Aki-san and Yu-San, better known as Hattori Akira and Hattori Yujirou, and their friend Hi-san, otherwise known as Hiramaru Kazuya." All three took respectful bows, before standing bolt upright as if ready for a fight. Ma nodded and moved along to Fu.

"Next is my closest ally, my #2 partner in crime for this operation. He's undergone the same thing I have, though for about a third of the time I've spent here. He's my kohai in kendo practice, and has been training his body and sword to insane heights. This is Fu-kun. His full name is Fukuda Shinta." Shinta nodded and stepped aside. Ma then stepped forward.

"And finally, there's me. I told you all I'd tell you my name when this thing was over. Well, here it is: My name is Moritaka Mashiro, the son of the scum-ball that scouted your girls. Over an hour ago, I avenged my family… and myself… of his deeds after discovering that his reasons for doing what he did… was because he needed money. So… His corpse will now burn in hell with the rest of the bodies here." At this, Moritaka bowed his head.

"Fu-kun, get the girls loaded into the limo with Ei-san and Ryu-san. I'll take Na-san and the others in the SUV as soon as I get done with one final job," Ma said, dashing off. Shinta nodded again and started getting everyone and the luggage to the cars for loading.

Moritaka had run back to his temporary home and fished a large package out of the crawlspace in his kitchen. Opening the box, he pulled out a large object composed mainly of sixteen large, cylindrical devices, arranged in a circular manner, that were connected to a seventeenth device in the middle by about two-hundred yards of wire stored on retractable spools on the sides of each cylinder. Grabbing a small remote from the bottom of the box, Moritaka shot off once more, moving as fast as his legs could carry him throughout the entirety of the village, depositing one cylinder in certain areas of the village.

On his way back to the vehicles, he stopped in the center of the village and planted the center of the device into the ground, then flipped a switch, setting off a set of rapid beeping sounds and blinking green lights. A few moments later he flipped a switch, setting off a countdown signaled by a flashing red light. Moritaka ran, getting to the SUV's door and jumping through it into the driver's seat. Starting the motor, he signaled to Fu to drive as fast as he could, reaching back to Takagi a moment later for the remote for the dome. Getting it, Moritaka drove the SUV out of the village moments before pressing a large red button on the remote he'd taken from the box.

The machine in the middle of the village opened, spraying copious amounts of napalm everywhere while sending signals to the secondary cylinders to begin doing the same. Soon, the entire village was up in flames and, with a press of the green button on the dome remote, the large metal dome buried around the village deployed, sealing off the flames of the burning village before they could escape. Moritaka smiled. He and Shinta were finally free of their curse.

_**~SEVERAL HOURS LATER~**_

Having stopped at one of Takagi's special garages along the way to their destination, the group arrived at a long string of tall apartment complexes in the two vehicles, which had been taken for scrap in exchange for a pair of sleek convertibles. They'd also made stops along the way to drop off the others at their homes, so by the time they arrived at their destination, only the seven women, Moritaka, Takagi and Shinta remained. As everyone filed out, Moritaka stepped up to the front door and stared at the place. The outside didn't look like much, but he knew that he could trust Takagi to set him up with good stuff. He waited for the girls to come up. He nodded to Takagi; his friends had been able to set up extra apartments on short notice, and had been happy to do so under promise of a double bonus. Moritaka turned.

"Alright, girls, I have something to tell you," he said, "On the way here, I had Takagi-kun call ahead to his movers and set up a couple more apartments for you. For four of you, there are solo apartments set up with standard-grade furniture and all the necessities. All appliances are present, and all utilities come completely free for three years. For the other three of you, there's a three-room suite ready in case Miho-san and her family decide they'd rather sleep in separate rooms tonight. Let's all head up to our rooms and get ready for bed, shall we?" he reached for the door and pulled it open, allowing the others in ahead of himself. As they reached the third floor, Moritaka stepped up to a door marked "321" and turned the knob to open the door.

"Well, everyone, this is where we part for tonight. Tomorrow, we'll strategize how to proceed. Good night," he said. However, just as he was moving to close the door, he felt a hand on his, which stopped him cold. Turning, he saw Miho holding his hand.

"Mother, can I stay here with Mashiro-san for tonight?" Miho asked, drawing surprised gasps and cries of "WHAT?" from her mother, sister, and friends. Miyuki thought about it for a moment.

"As long as he's alright with it," Miyuki said aloud. She figured there had to be a reason, and was willing to let her daughter do what she felt she needed to.

Moritaka thought it over himself, and then said, "If you're certain, I don't see why not. I'll take the couch for tonight." Holding the door open, he watched, slightly perplexed as Miho walked in, pulling her wheeled suitcase behind her. Moritaka nodded to Takagi and closed the door, prompting the blonde to show the other women and Shinta to their rooms.

_**~MEANWHILE~**_

Moritaka's head was suddenly spinning in all directions. ON one hand, he didn't mind sharing his prepared room with a total stranger, but… something inside him was warning him that things weren't going to end up with her in the bed and him on the couch.

Placing his single duffel bag of stuff next to the couch, he turned around to see Miho staring at him.

"Is… something wrong?" he asked. She didn't answer; she just took a couple steps toward him.

"Why did you… why would you save me, save all of us? It's been bugging me from the moment you said you were the son of that guy who scouted us for that filming… If you were his son, why wouldn't you join him?" Miho asked. Hanging his head, Moritaka stepped toward the back of the couch and leaned against it.

"So you remember what I told you in that house?" he asked, "Because if you do, every word of it was the TRUTH. Up to and including everything I told you about myself. When I was eight years old, I was brought to that place with my mother and three sisters. For one week, I was forced to stay in a cupboard while my father went off to do whatever he wanted and my remaining family was turned into eternally horny sex-crazed lunatics. The first day out of that cupboard, I caught sight of my mother in the throes of sex… and she told the men with her to let her be for a moment. When they let her free… she jumped me and tried to seduce me. MY OWN MOTHER TRIED TO SEDUCE ME!" Moritaka shouted, his face twisting into a pained grimace. Miho backed up a step, placing a hand on her mouth.

"You don't have any idea what it feels like to be that helpless and confused," Moritaka said, "Your own mother, who you thought you'd known for a few years, suddenly turns around and tries to turn you into what a group of sex-crazed pervert men turned her into. It scared the hell out of me. THAT'S why I sealed myself back inside that cupboard for a while afterward. No matter who came to that door and asked me to come out, I ignored them, and if my mother tried, I threw something at her and screamed for her to leave. I didn't know what to think or believe anymore. Three months later I stepped outside again… only to run right back inside when ALL THREE of my sisters jumped me. Not only that, but my mother was in the area when it happened, and she didn't do anything to try and stop them. She just let them go… I stayed in that cupboard for several more months… and gave them the same treatment I kept giving my mother until…"

Lowering his head toward his chest, his gritted his teeth together. Miho looked closely and gasped when she saw a slow, but steady stream of tears flow from both eyes. His legs gave out on him and he hit the floor on his knees, letting loose every last drop of emotion he'd locked and sealed away for all those years in a torrent of screams, wails and tears. Miho knew he probably didn't want her to help him, but being who she was, she couldn't just let him sit there and suffer alone.

It was for that reason that Moritaka gasped in surprise when Miho wrapped her arms around his sides and clasped her hands shut over his stomach and rested her head in his shoulder, whispering that he wasn't alone anymore, and to let it all out. Moritaka shook his head as the tears started all over again, flowing harder and harder as the seconds past and Miho's grip tightened bit by bit. Slowly, but surely, the mysterious boy she'd met at a concert three years ago let all of his pain out and relaxed in her arms, soon resting his own head against her shoulder and taking several deep breaths.

A few gasps and deep breaths later, Moritaka nodded slowly and said, "T-thank you, Miho-san… I needed that…" It was only then that he realized his shoulder felt a bit wet. A second later he heard the sound of quiet hiccups and quiet sobs. He could feel her arms loosening and moved slowly, moving her arms to escape from her comforting embrace and turning her around so they faced each other. He then wrapped his arms around her and held her close as her own pain came flowing out onto his chest.

For all their effort to comfort each other, however, they only wound up drawing up all their most painful memories and sat there, sobbing into each other's shoulders for a good thirty minutes before their shakes calmed and their tears dried up. For another fifteen minutes, the two sat on the floor, Miho now turned sideways in Moritaka's lap so she faced his left side where her hands sat latched together, while Moritaka buried his face in her hair and held her close.

"It's so strange…" Miho finally said, causing Moritaka to move his face to look her in the eyes, "I held all that in for so long… why is it that you, a complete stranger I met by accident, were able to draw all of it out? And for some reason, it feels… almost natural to me… being in your arms like this…" Moritaka considered it.

"Funny you say that… it's the same for me too. I held all of those tears back for ten years… now suddenly I'm crying my eyes out in the arms of someone I hardly know… and that is strange… I'm getting the same feeling form you. It feels right, somehow, like… it was meant to be like this…" Moritaka thought aloud. That's when it hit him.

"Wait a minute… You're name is AZUKI MIHO, right?" he asked. She nodded her head.

"You attended the Minazuka Private Elementary School for Gifted Children, right?" He asked. Once more, she nodded, her eyes now widening.

"THAT explains it. We were classmates one year. I attended that school for one year before … THAT day…" Moritaka said. Miho searched through her memories, gasping when she remembered.

_**~ BEGIN FLASHBACK~**_

_A small school, framed by rows of trees, sat silently in the mid-day sun while the gentle spring breeze passed through its open windows and into the simple classrooms. At the back of the school was a large, in-ground pool that the students were using for a swim-meet. At one end of the pool sat a small boy with big blue eyes and short blue hair stared across the pool at a small girl, with shoulder-blade-length brown hair and matching eyes, who'd long since locked eyes with him. The two sat there, silently, staring into each other's eyes… long after the meet was over and everyone had been brought inside when it suddenly started raining. The girl suddenly got up and turned to leave, but turned around for less than a second to look the boy in the eyes again. That one look seemed to last forever, but ended as quickly as it started. The boy snapped back to reality and got up to go inside._

_**~END FLASHBACK~**_

Moritaka and Miho stared into each other's eyes; they'd known each other since they were little kids and had fallen in love then… and now, after ten years of separation…

"Miho-san… I didn't know your name then… and now…" Moritaka said, before she placed a finger to his lips.

"Mashiro-kun… it may have been ten years ago, but I know what I felt then. For months after I heard you left, my days were miserable. I couldn't concentrate… I had little to no appetite… I couldn't sleep well… eventually my mother told me to just forget about you… and I did. I forgot you existed and happiness came back to my life. But it wasn't real; my heart couldn't forget the eyes of the boy who sat across that pool in school… those innocent blue eyes that showed me who you are and what you'd become. That's when I fell in love with you…" Miho said, resting her head against his shoulder to catch her breath. Moritaka took a few deep breaths himself. He had felt back in the village that there was something more about her that was calling to him… no, he'd felt it before that, at the concert, when they'd found the error in the tickets and laughed like little children.

Miho got back up and looked him in the eyes; those deep, blue eyes that she'd stared into for about an hour when she was little. She could see that deep, cerulean blue shade that she'd been mesmerized by, and she could see, through the glazed dim coat of grey over his blue eyes that there was still a spark of who he'd been as a child. The only question that worried her was…

"_Will I be able to draw that spark out again?"_

Miho closed her eyes and smiled.

"Mashiro-kun… My feelings for you haven't wavered from that day to today. Do… do you still…?" she asked, leaving her question hanging. Moritaka ventured into his memories quickly and found his answer.

In a motion neither of them anticipated, Moritaka reached up, cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her gently, choosing to play it slow. He wasn't surprised when Miho gasped against his lips, nor was he surprised when she settled into the kiss and kissed back. He was, however, taken aback by how forward she was. Almost half a minute after he started the kiss, she was trying to take command with a quick pressing of her tongue against his lips. Moritaka smiled and opened his mouth, allowing her access. After a three minute period that felt like six hours, they broke apart and looked each other in the eyes. Miho smiled. The spark she'd seen was growing, filling those almost dead, soulless blue eyes with life again. With little more than twenty seconds of breath they were back it, this time more forceful; both wanted to lead, but wouldn't let the other lead. Moritaka smiled wide. What had started as simple rescue mission had turned into… something he'd never expected he'd do.

After another minute, he pulled away, and with a joking tone, said, "You know… I was REALLY going to take the couch!" She laughed and kissed him again.

"Oh yeah right," she said jokingly, "You'd have taken the couch and left me to fend for myself in that big, cold bed? You MONSTER! How could you leave me to freeze?" Moritaka smiled and chuckled a bit.

"I DID promise your mother I'd stay on the couch, you know," he said, joking right back. Not even trying to stop now, she kissed him again and smiled.

"Well, you know, I've ALWAYS been a bit of a rebel… especially when someone promises my mother something that has to do with ME," she said playfully. Moritaka smiled and kissed her hard.

"Really? You don't see anything wrong with… a little play when your mother has my word that I won't try ANYTHING?" he said, testing the water. Miho smirked and cocked one eyebrow as high as it would go.

"And you do? Really, you're going to try that NOW?" she asked, kissing him hard. He kissed back.

"Just a test," he said, pulling away. Miho gave him a questioning look.

"No. No tests. Just… us," she said, kissing him again and resting her head against her shoulder. Moritaka smiled and moved to stand, using his hands to make sure she didn't fall off him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he swung her around to lay in his arms bridal style. They smiled and kissed as he carried her to the bedroom, when he reached up to shut and lock the door with his foot, never once turning around to look or let her down. As soon as his knees hit the bed, he laid her down and stood still.

"Are you sure you want this? You do remember that only a few hours ago this was almost forced on you by two EXTREMELY evil men, right?" Moritaka asked, worry and fear suddenly overtaking him. He'd always despised those filthy, bestial men in that cursed village. The very LAST thing he EVER wanted to do was become like them, and Miho seemed to pick up on that. Sitting up and resting on her knees, she reached up to capture his lips once again.

After a brief moment, she let go and, looking him dead in the eyes, said, "Moritaka… when we were kids I knew I wanted to be your friend. When our eyes locked at that swim meet, I knew I wanted nothing more than to be at your side and do EVERYTHING together. I can't go back on that now just because I might be afraid and worried. As long as it's you and no one else, I'm sure about everything. So please… be gentle?" Moritaka got the subtle message and nodded, climbing onto the bed on his knees to kiss her, while slowly pushing her back until she was lying on her back again.

They stayed like that for a while: Moritaka kneeling over her with his hands flat on either side of her face, while she lay there, staring up into his eyes with her hands curled into cat-like paws next to his hands. They held that gaze for what seemed like forever before Moritaka leaned down, lacing his fingers between hers and kissing her deeply on the lips. She didn't fight him for a second when his left hand left hers to travel to her side, where it proceeded to travel slowly up her body until it hit her arm and arced to the curve of her breast. He felt he gasp a little against his lips and logged the thought away before slowly caressing his round captive. Her next gasp turned into a soft moan midway through, telling him he was doing something right.

A couple minutes later, feeling her move under him, he pulled out of the kiss and looked her in the eyes, only for her to say, "You… you can touch me without my clothes… just please… don't stop…" Moritaka smiled and dove for her lips again, releasing her right hand so both of his could slowly work the buttons of her shirt from their places. After a good thirty seconds, he'd opened all the buttons and opened her shirt, revealing the small white bra she used to reduce the now more impressive swell of her breasts. Noticing that it was a front hook, he slowly slid the two halves apart and let it fall to her sides. His right hand rose once more to hold her hand while his left once again reached for her breast, resuming his gentle caressing as he closed his eyes to enjoy the kiss.

Her moans came faster and deeper now, and when he next opened his eyes, he saw her eyes closed almost entirely, save for a tiny opening that let her see him. He motioned downward with his head, and she half-nodded in reply. He closed his eyes again. This time, when his right hand left hers and hit her side, it traveled downward until it hit her denim-covered legs and stopped. He ran his hand as far up and down the length of her leg as he could, slowly. Eventually, he curled his fingers down to grab her thigh and ran his hand over it a few times, granting him a few more excited moans and a yelp of surprise when his index finger brushed up against her pelvis. Feeling her lips pull away, he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Slow down! You're still fully clothed. That's not very fair, don't you think?" she asked, her voice taking on a deeper, almost hungry, yet playful tone. He smiled as he took his hands away and held them up, allowing her to lift his turtleneck up and over his head. Tossing it quickly to the floor, Miho lifted herself up enough to pull her own garments out from underneath her and swept them off the side of the bed. She then looked at his chest and felt her legs go limp.

She'd known from her first impression at the village that he had to be strong. What other kind of man could swing a blade and put a hole in the ground JUST with the wind displaced by the swing? But looking at his arms and chest, with everything perfectly toned… not to mention his six-pack abs that showed JUST right in the dim light of the room… She hadn't expected that. Reaching one hand up, she rested it against his shoulder, placing the other on his abs. Just the feel of those taught muscles made her hand tingle.

Moritaka smiled and went back to kissing her, allowing his hands to resume their roaming. He curved his outer three fingers to form a sort of claw that gently squeezed her breast while his thumb and index finger made the small, standing nub their next target. Miho gasped again; it was getting to be too much.

Working slowly, Moritaka moved his lower hand to slide her skirt down, smiling a bit when she moved her legs to help remove the garment. Once more, she broke away and moved her arms, this time to remove his pants. As soon as they dropped, Miho was met with the full size of his piece. Gaining a look of shock, she backed away for a second and gasped. Not only did he not wear underwear… Miho silently thanked Kami for allowing her to have this chance. She looked at his meat again, the full nine inch length and four inch girth. She was almost afraid it wouldn't fit… and that if it DID, it would break her in two.

Moritaka felt something was wrong and leaned down until he was an inch form her face.

"I-is something wrong?" he asked. Deciding against running, Miho shook her head and kissed him again. He nodded, once again allowing his hands to return to their previous task. He pulled away from the kiss and smiled before moving down the bed and slowly sliding her panties off. Miho shuddered a little, but tried not to show any discomfort. Moritaka broke the kiss for a moment and looked into her eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes held a look of worry… and fear. Once again, he felt a looming sense of dread.

"Are you SURE you're sure about this?" he asked, not wanting to do anything she didn't want to do. All Miho did in reply was give him a worried look.

"You better not be thinking about backing out on me now," she said, her voice shaky, both from apprehension of what was to come… and from their earlier play. Moritaka nodded.

Miho reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back into their kiss. Moritaka knew he'd have to work slowly for this. He kept his left hand on her cheek now, while he slowly moved his right between her legs, gently caressing her thighs as he moved. When he came to the junction, he hooked two fingers toward the opening and rubbed gently, and repeated this several times. Each time he did, she moaned a little more into his mouth. Another thirty seconds of this and Miho was almost at the edge.

"H-hurry!" she gasped. Moritaka nodded. Looking down, he lined himself up with her opening and slowly pushed forward. He could feel her go stiff beneath him and leaned in to kiss her.

Miho hadn't expected the kiss at all, but as soon as their lips met, her body relaxed… until he hit her barrier.

They broke apart for a moment, each looking the other in the eye. Miho nodded. Moritaka felt panic enter his mind and moved to pull out. Miho wasn't allowing that.

Before either teen knew what happened, she'd wrapped her legs around his waist and bent her knees, effectively forcing him deeper into her and through her virginity. Miho gasped loudly at the sudden burst of pain, but found her voice silenced when Moritaka kissed her again to try and alleviate the pain. Once again, she felt the tension in her body flee. However, at this point, the pain also began to leave her, while the sense of fullness inside sent surges of pleasure into her head. She moaned into his ear as her legs loosened. This time, he didn't try to run, and she smiled. Moritaka nodded and pulled out slightly.

She looked into his eyes with a hurt expression… just before he pushed back in again. He watched as her expression gave way, changing from hurt to ecstatic. He lowered his face to rest between her head and her shoulder, taking both her hands in his as he nibbled her ear, relishing her soft moans of pleasure and whispers of his name. He kept up his pace for a few minutes before her moans became a tad louder and the word "faster" managed to reach his ears.

Miho gasped as he sped up just a little. A moment later, he managed to hit a hotspot she'd never known about, and her moans turned into muffled screams as she tried her best not to let her voice get too loud.

_**~ONE FLOOR ABOVE, DIRECTLY ABOVE THE LOVERS~**_

Miyuki Azuki sat on her bed, holding the sleeping body of her daughter Mina close to her chest, gently wiping away the occasional tear from her daughter's eye. It was just then that she heard her elder daughter scream from the room below. She was almost up to run down to see what was wrong, but she stopped when she heard:

"_MORITAKA, GIVE ME MORE!"_

Miyuki shook her head and went back to holding Mina. She couldn't help but shed a single tear as a beaming smile spread across her face.

"You found him… didn't you, Miho? I'm so proud of you. You listened to your heart… Good girl…" Miyuki said, crying silently while her younger daughter slept soundly in her arms.

_**~BACK DOWNSTAIRS~**_

Miho wasn't even trying anymore. It may have been her first time, but he was hitting all the right spots and she could barely think straight now. Her brain was about to completely shut down as wave after wave pleasure crashed into her in quick succession.

Moritaka could feel himself growing closer to the edge by the second, and just by the way Miho was gripping him inside, he could tell she was close also.

"M-MIHO, WHERE-?" he asked, just before she wrapped her legs around his waist in response. He stared into her eyes in surprise just seconds before everything came to a grinding halt.

"MIHO!"

"MORITAKA!"

Just as they reached the end together, the two locked lips hard. Moritaka groaned as his piece slammed into her deepest spot, launching several powerful shots straight up into her womb. Not that most of it stayed there for long; Miho's body shook almost violently as the first orgasm of her life tore through her, releasing a flood of her fluids straight into the bed along with Moritaka's seed. Now fully spent, Moritaka collapsed onto the bed next to her. Seconds later, she moved, standing and moving to the on-suite bathroom to clean up. Moritaka smiled as he waited for her. Roughly fifteen minutes and one hot shower later, Miho opened the door and walked back to the bed, sliding in under the covers as Moritaka held the sheet up for her. Soon, the two were asleep, with Miho nestled comfortably in the open space between his right arm and side, resting her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm underneath her neck to rest on her shoulder.

_**~THE NEXT DAY~**_

Miho and Moritaka walked into the living room of the small apartment, Moritaka in no more than a pair of boxers while Miho was draped loosely in the sheets. They didn't stay long; they opened their eyes to several pairs staring at them, along with several gaping mouths and stunned looks.

"MIHO, YOU DIDN'T… DID YOU?" Kaya asked, not moving.

"It would seem she did," Yuriko said, a slight blush creeping across her face.

"SISTER!" Mina shouted, not even daring to move.

Each of the women present gave their two cents before the lovers gave each other a sideways glance and ran back into the bedroom to get dressed. Takagi and Shinta looked at each other, exchanging a single glance that said one thing:

"WHAT A LUCKY BASTARD!"

A little while later, the group had gone to a café for breakfast, where the women forced Miho to sit at a separate table and tell them what happened, while Moritaka was left to sit at a table across from his two friends. For what felt like an eternity, not one of the three men present spoke a word. Finally, tired of the awkward silence, Shinta decided to joke with his sempai.

"Uh… Sempai," Shinta said, "Do you mind if I ask… what happened last night? I remember hearing strange noises and screaming just before I passed out..." Takagi could barely keep a laugh from escaping his lips; the most he let out was a silent raspberry sound.

Moritaka shook his head and said, "I think the girls kind of gave you the answer t that back at the apartment, Fu-kun. It started off as just a brief chat and… the last thing I can remember before my body took over was kissing her…" Takagi smirked.

"Well, I hope you don't mind the intrusion," he said, "But that was no ordinary kiss, if that's REALLY all that happened. I was three floors straight above your room and I have to say… that was loudest kiss I've ever heard!" This time it was Shinta's turn to force back the chuckles, though once he spat half a mouthful of coffee on Moritaka, the joke was just about over.

However, neither expected Moritaka to look both of them in the eye and say, "Well… for your information… it may have been a really loud kiss, but It was heavenly. I wouldn't have traded that for anything." Both looked at him quizzically.

"Sempai, are you feeling alright?" Shinta asked. Takagi nodded as he reached over and placed the back of his hand against Moritaka's forehead.

"He's heating up… did you catch something last night, Mashiro-san?" Takagi asked. Moritaka simply smiled and leaned back to stare off into the distance with a dreamy look and stars in his eyes.

"Yeah… I think I did… I think I caught… LOVE," Moritaka said, allowing his voice to trail off as he lost himself in thought. Both his friends looked at him, then at each other, then back again. They finally shrugged their shoulders in confusion and ordered another round of coffee.

Shinta was the most confused between them. He'd seen how Moritaka had reacted to the looks the members of the girls' kendo class gave his sempai as he walked by them; Moritaka had simply shot them all a killer glare and kept walking. From that day on, the girls would talk about him behind his back… but do it from behind the corner of a wall where they couldn't be seen. The one man who seemed completely anti-women, anti-love, and anti-sex of any sort had taken a drastic turn to the other side of the spectrum… and for the first time since he met his sempai, Shinta felt happy for his senior kendoka.

Takagi, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent when Shinta looked at him next. Shinta didn't question the look and just enjoyed his coffee while he listened to Miho as she explained the events of the previous night from the table directly behind him. He felt a blush slowly creep across his face as she went into almost VIVID detail, and felt the heat in the room spike. He didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know why.

After breakfast, the party went back to the apartment building to discuss plans of action. It was decided that the building next door, also owned and run by Takagi, would be turned into a sort of all-girls dorm for Kaya, Yuirko, Aiko and Natsumi to live in while he would find a small house for Miyuki and Mina to live in. It was decided my Miho that she'd stay with Moritaka, no matter where he went; no matter who it was, no one could convince Miho to change her mind.

Several hours later, the girls had been moved into the dorm, all except for Moritaka and the Azuki family, who stayed in the apartments. Takagi said that as soon as he had found and set up a house for the two, he'd have Miyuki and Mina moved in within a matter of hours. They thanked him endlessly and turned to leave when Miyuki signaled to Moritaka. He walked over and the two went around a corner where Miho couldn't hear them.

"I just want you to know that I'm happy for you two, Mashiro-san. I'm also eternally grateful for the fact that you organized and executed our rescue in that dreadful place. However," she said, her face gaining a dark appearance similar to a demon, complete with killing intent, "Should I EVER find out that you hurt my daughter or break her heart… let's just say that they'll NEVER find your body. Understand me, young man?" Moritaka smiled nervously and nodded his understanding.

"You won't have to worry about that, Azuki-san. I intend to take very good care of Miho. I have no intentions of hurting her or leaving her for any other girl. I swear she's the only I'll ever be able to love the way I do. My word as a kendoka is my life," he said with conviction. Miyuki's face brightened again and, with a beaming smile, she thanked him again.

"However," she said as she turned to leave, "If I could make one small request… Please don't go at it EVERY night, alright? I almost had Mina crying all night that one of those evil men had gotten free and found Miho. Just… wait until we're out of your hair, alright?" Moritaka's face went bright red and he nodded sheepishly. Miyuki smiled and rounded the corner to pass her eldest daughter.

"He's a good one, Miho. Don't let him go, you hear me?" she said as she passed. Miho smiled.

"He's not going anywhere, kaa-san," she said happily. Her mother was out of sight and earshot when Moritaka rounded the corner to wrap his arms around her waist.

"What'd she say?" He asked. She smiled.

"Oh, the same old thing: she gave her approval and told me not to let go of you," Miho said with a giggle. Moritaka chuckled.

"Funny… That's exactly what she said to me…" he said. The two looked out the hall window and saw the sunshine playing on the floor.

"You know…" Moritaka said, "I used to hate the sun. I always thought that the hope that came with its rays was so evil and deceptive… Now, I see how big of a fool I was. The sun's not evil… It's a reminder to never give up hope. After all," he swept Miho off her feet and carried her off into their room, leaving his words to echo through the hall:

"_**LOVE AND HOPE EXIST EVERYWHERE; YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK."**_

~THE END~  
>~ED: "CELLO WARSLIGHTSABER DUEL" by Steven Sharp Nelson~

[A/N] Another REALLY long one, but finally it's done. TWO WEEKS… two weeks of constant annoyance and distractions… FINALLY IT'S FINISHED! ^_^ And now, with it being roughly twenty after one in the morning by the time I've posted this, I'm off to bed. Night all, and sweet dreams! [A/N]


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